The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-06-30
[American Agriculturist.1
The Thinning of Fruits.

Perhaps no other hortlculGufal op-
Grafton has been so much written
about, or has been so eloquently advo-
Gated at the meetings, as that of thin
ming of fruits, by which we mean the
removal Of portion of the crop that
sets, that the portion Of the crop that
remains by having double rations
plant food, may be larger and better;
yet in spite Of all this expenditure of
ink and eloquence, how little is there
to show for it? Who thins fruit upon
any large scale? It can be shown by
figures, that the one way to make
fruit-growing pay is TO sell good fruit
at large prices, and that the one way
to have good fruit, is to throw away
one-half or two-thirds of it while it IS
still young. Figures will prove this,
and we all know what figures will not
do. With fruits under glass, we
should regard him as poor gardener,
who allowed every peach or pear that
set in the orchard-house, or every clus-
ter that set in the grapery, to grow
and ripen. Every one who had an
opportunity to make the comparison
is aware that a peach ripened IN the
open air is vastly inferior to one rip
ened under glass, in everything that
characterizes good peach. 1t Is not
because Of the higher temperature
glass allows US to maintain, or OF any
other quality attributable to glass. 1t
is merely because the gardener cannot
afford to grow inferior fruit under
glass, hence the trees are allowed to
carry only that number OF peaches
that practice has shown that tree OF
a given size can nourish and carry on
to perfection. This is the chief cause
of the superiority of fruits, of course
Of the same varieties, grown under
glass over the same when grown IN
the open air In removing the sur
plus, this may be done before the
flowers have bloomed, by the opera
ton Of disbudding. This rarely re-
moves enough, and as soon as the fruit
has set large share is removed. 1t
it appears that too much still remains,
the number may be reduced when it is
half grown, and still more, if need be,
Just as ripening is about beginning.
So with grapes, certain number OF
clusters Of which is apportioned to the
age and strength of the vine. Of
course precision like this is not looked
for in market culture, but an approx
nation to it may be attempted, but
let nothing be carried beyond the
point Of profit. lie fruit grower be
desirous Of testing the matter, let him
select two trees OF the same kind,
peach, pear, apple, and also two grape
vines of each kind he proposes to
grow, at the same age, etc. Allow
one Of each kind to go in the usual
way, and with the other, thin out from
one-half to two-thirds Of the fruit
from the tree soon after it has set
fairly. If when half grown, it ap-
pears that more thinning will be pref
table, do it, keeping an accurate ac-
count Of the cost of doing it. With
vines, left to themselves, each shoot
usually bears three clusters, sometimes
more, they leaving two clusters and
also one, on each shoot, and also in
pinching the cane back to three, two
or one leaf beyond the bunch or
punches. 1t is expected tnat the in
creased value Of the fruit, the price at
which it is sold. will leave handsome
profit. Viii it? The cost Of labor is
the great obstacle, and whoever will
devise methods for facilitating the op-
erations will find that it will pay him
handsomely.